Sunshine exposure and diet alone do not provide adequate vitamin D for vulnerable groups in the UK. To prevent deficiency and the health consequences, GPs should be advising appropriate supplements for all infants, toddlers and pregnant and breastfeeding women. GP practices could distribute the low cost Healthy Start supplements to all their clients.

Patients with personality disorders can be challenging to manage in primary care. Clarity of diagnosis and appreciation of the limitations of therapeutic interventions are essential. A consistent, boundaried approach from all involved in care is important for a successful outcome and minimisation of stress amongst professionals, including general practitioners.

This article aims to provide a “bite-sized” guide to the aetiology, diagnosis and assessment, and initial management of TMDs. TMDs are a common musculoskeletal complaint often presenting as pain in the (oro)facial region. They have the potential to develop into a persistent pain condition and be conservatively managed initially.

Medically unexplained symptoms are common in primary care. They are heterogenous in nature and patients can present with comorbid physical and psychological conditions making assessment and treatment more challenging. In addition to being expensive due to frequent and inappropriate healthcare utilization, they can be emotionally draining for the clinician.

Uterine fibroids are common benign growths of muscle fibres. Their incidence increases with age and growth is linked to oestrogen and progesterone. Malignant transformation is infrequent. Presentation is usually in primary care. This article highlights the key aspects of uterine fibroids with a focus on primary care physicians.

More crises in the NHS. General Practice is being overwhelmed and recruitment has slowed and so we have returned to enticing doctors from abroad. It is astonishing that with all the resources allocated to “Workforce Planning”, both financial and human resource, we continue to lurch from feast to famine in medical manpower! I recall the tiered lecture rooms in the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London there was a row of chairs with easels to accommodate the extra places for Medical students as the planners had grossly underestimated UK’s requirements. The politicians closed the Medical School and where the Middlesex Hospital once proudly served the populace, is a building of apartments that only foreign investors can afford.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder which can be lifelong with a risk of negative long term outcomes. Symptoms affect academic, occupational and social functioning. Co-morbidity is common and the frequency of symptoms such as mood instability alongside core ADHD symptoms in adults can lead to it being mistaken for personality disorder or an affective disorder. It is highly heritable and treatable.